The Woodshed

Carolina took the Dukees to the woodshed and spanked 'em good. I turned the game on expecting a tight but competitive game, I wasn't prepared for what I witnessed. Duke was rated the number three team in the nation and Carolina was number six but you could have fooled me. I guess that just proves polls are sometimes in error and play on the court is the deciding factor. Coach K looked totally bewildered when he walked off the floor at half-time. The cameras caught him at a point I thought his head was going to explode. I'm sure my buddy Skip probably had his Carolina blue on sitting in front of his television set. For you Skip, final score:

Carolina 88 Duke 70

I've run out of adjectives

To describe the 2011-12 version of the Mizzou Tigers. This past Saturday we witnessed them demolish Texas Tech for their 27th win and 14th in conference. This win was on the road, Mizzou teams in the past always had difficulty playing on the road. This Mizzou team has set a record for the number of regular season games won. Okay you say Tech was in last place so the fact that Mizzou won shouldn't be such a big deal. It was a big deal because they could have phoned this one in, they were assured of a second place conference finish win or lose. I continue to be amazed by "The Magnificent Seven," the seven Tigers had balanced scoring, great defense and one more team they managed to outrebound. The Magnificent Seven was a reference to a classic 1960 movie Western set in Mexico. The storyline Yul Brynner's character gathered seven men each experts in a specific field to help defend a peasant village from bandits. Flip Pressey the director & distributor, Marcus Denmon the shooter, Ricardo Ratliff the rebounder and on and on, okay-okay I'm sorry I probably got carried away.

"Kobe Stopper"

The headline in Saturday's edition of the Miami Herald read: "Miami Heat's Battier could be Kobe stopper." I haven't heard that term used in a long, long time. You might remember Reuben Patterson who played in the association some years back. The Lakers originally drafted Patterson but he left in August of '99 as a free agent signing with the Blazers. Patterson was often matched against Kobe in practice thus he became the self-appointed "Kobe Stopper." That was Patterson's mantra, his only claim to fame in the NBA. Funny, I never actually remember Patterson stopping him! I remember games he made it difficult for Kobe to score, I also remember games Kobe was en fuego despite the fact Patterson was guarding him, scratch that I meant watching him! Battier did a good job on Kobe-----he held him to 33 points on .608 from the floor and a Laker win.

Sacramento Kings

Last spring I wrote the team's obituary for Kings fans, I thought for sure this team was headed to Southern California. Three NBA teams in SoCal didn't really make a great deal of sense to me but what do I know! I imagined the movers had been contacted and given a date to pickup furniture, files and equipment from Power Balance Arena. My mind journeyed back to 1985 and this franchise leaving Kansas City for Sacramento, I don't remember anybody or any organization fighting to maintain a presence in the NBA. It would have been great if Kansas City had a Kevin Johnson in 1985. Mayor Johnson (and former Suns point guard)

saved the day for Sacramento and Kings fans. He appeared before the NBA Board of Governors last year and convinced them it was worthwhile for the NBA to remain in Sacramento. His appeal worked, the city was allowed 1-year to present an agreement to the same Board of Governors. As the clock tick toward the March 1st deadline we thought the city might miss the deadline. An agreement was presented including a new arena, it was left up to the city council to vote yes or no on the proposal. Unless the city council fails to approve the deal (not likely) we can say Sacramento managed to keep it's team. It would have really been cool if Kansas City had a Kevin Johnson in 1985. I wonder why the NBA has never looked at St. Louis again, the Hawks were a mainstay before they too packed up and headed for Atlanta.   

Where is the ball?

If you are a student of the game I could say Wilt, 100 points or Hershey Pennsylvania and you know the answer before the question is asked. I would be referring to the game Wilt Chamberlain set the all-time single game NBA scoring record. This historic event occurred 50 years ago last Friday. It was March 2, 1962 in that time period NBA teams would sometimes "farmed" out home games and that's what occurred here. This historic game wasn't played in Philadelphia home of the Warriors it was played in Hershey Pennsylvania about 100 miles from downtown Philadelphia. The Warriors opponent that evening was the New York Knickerbockers, the game was played before 4,124 souls although upwards of 10,000 folk have claimed to have been at the game. Wilt's team won the game, final score Philadelphia 169 New York 147. "The game was not televised, and no video footage of the game exists; there are only audio recordings of the game's fourth quarter. The NBA was not yet a major league sport and struggled against college basketball." I realize that statement sounds strange today considering the NBA's impact here and abroad. The game of the century and no visual record exists, read Fran Blinebury's story on NBA.com he details how the game ball from that historic night was "lost." Want some more, how about this Wilt collected 55 rebounds in one November 1960 game against the Celtics, no overtime it was a regulation game. Highest season scoring average 50.4 set during the 1961-62 season, can you imagine scoring 50+ points every time you walked out on the court? That 1960-61 season Chamberlain averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. Chamberlain felt maligned by the public, he never received the praise he thought deserved, it was always given to his number one opponent Bill Russell. Chamberlain once said "Russell had better teammates surrounding him then I did." The statement certainly rang true, Russell only bested Chamberlain in games won he never ever stopped Chamberlain on the court! Russell made it difficult for him to score but he never shut Chamberlain down. (Wikipedia)

The most invisible Division I basketball program in the nation

I can't imagine a more invisible Division I program than the University of Missouri at Kansas City or UMKC. In late fall I wrote of the universities pathetic basketball program. Most of the architects of the program have retired or moved on to other employment. As this is written the Kangaroos are 10-20, 4-13 in the Summit Conference. UMKC became a Division One program in 1990 and competed as an independent until the school joined the Summit Conference in 1994. In 23 years the team has only played at .500 or above 8 times. Until recently the school's games were played at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City. Former mayor Berkley arranged to lease the building to UMKC for $1.00 a year but that might have contributed to a portion of the problem. The auditorium is located some 5 miles from the campus, I'm unsure if any type of bus service was available to the students. The university's team has never reached the level many thought might be possible. Initially I wanted UMKC in the Missouri Valley Conference, I'm so thankful the conference didn't contact them or vice-versa, this team might have never won a game in that conference. Present problems, present solutions. The key, downgrade the program to Division II, III or NAIA as my barber Ed informed me a month or so ago. (Wikipedia)